The Kennebec Valley Organization's Candidates Forum

The Kennebec Valley Organization is holding its Candidates Forum on Sunday, September 28th from 3-5 pm at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish Hall on High Street in Fairfield. Kennebec Valley Organization Principles for Health Care Reform The Kennebec Valley Organization is made up of congregations, unions, professional associations and community groups committed to the dignity and freedom of all people. Although our member institutions represent people from different walks of life, we all share the basic value that Everyone should have the opportunity to get quality, affordable health care. KVO member institutions held meetings to discuss our values and share personal stories of health care. From the sixty-five health care stories KVO collected, we developed twenty principles from which five priorities were agreed upon by consensus at our June 2008 Delegates Assembly. These five priorities serve as the foundation of our KVO Health Care Campaign: 1. Health care is a BASIC HUMAN RIGHT stemming from the sanctity of human life. A JUST SOCIETY must ensure that everyone receives compassionate, comprehensive and competent health care, independent of employment, age, health or family history. 2. Health care should emphasize PREVENTION, and preventive medical care should be covered by every patient’s health care policy. 3. AFFORDABILTY: Everyone pays based on financial ability. 4. Special efforts should be made to provide care for geographic areas and populations that have been UNDERSERVED, such as rural areas, inner cities and impoverished communities. 5. Insurance companies and other third party payers, the pharmaceutical industry and other commercial interests should not function as barriers to care, or impede the provider/patient relationship in making medical decisions. These are the rest of KVO Health Care Principles. Every patient should access, and have access to, a primary care provider. Emergency departments should not function in lieu of affordable primary care. Health care should be COMPREHENSIVE – everyone is covered, with equal consideration of the physical, mental and spiritual. Everyone should contribute their FAIR SHARE to health care costs, with no more and no less expected of them than they are able to give. SHARE FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY: Every individual, employer, payer and provider contributes. ACCOUNTABILITY – Insurance companies and other third party payers are accountable to those receiving coverage, and should make access to care efficient, transparent and free of undue burden. Provided the proper tools of education and support, people should take PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY for maintaining their own health to the greatest extent possible. CHOICE: Doctors and patients make the decisions together. Patients should have their CHOICE of medical provider. The paperwork required to receive health care services should be simplified, streamlined and fully understandable. INSURANCE REFORMS: More of every premium dollar for care – less to administration. PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP: Working together to reform health care. GOVERNMENT WATCHDOG: Government makes and enforces the rules and regulations. Health care workers at all levels should be supported as they go about their business of caring for patients. Distracting and complicating administrative and financial considerations should be minimized. Efforts should be made to increase the training of primary care providers. Support for medical or nursing education for those entering these fields, particularly considering the prohibitive cost of professional education. On September 28th, KVO will ask incumbents and candidates if they support our five priority principles and what they will do to make health care reform happen. Lawmakers attending include Representative Donna Finley of Skowhegan, Representatvie David Cotta of China, and Senator Peter Mills of Cornville. Consider this in invite to all MSEA-SEIU members who read 771's blog to attend the KVO event. Be there to hear what candidates have to say about Health Care. I hope to see you there.